This invention is in the field of fabric cutting devices and in particular in the field of devices for cutting circles in fabric.
Devices and methods for cutting a circular swatch of fabric from a larger piece of fabric are useful for quilting, embroidery and other sewing activities. Methods and devices known in the art have provided this capacity with varying degrees of success. There are two primary methods relied upon widely by persons engaged in quilting, embroidery or other sewing activities.
For the first method, a circular template made from a rigid material is used as a guide. The template holds down the fabric and a rotary cutter, or other fabric cutter is run along the edge of the template to cut out a circular swatch of fabric matching the shape and size of the circular template. The inherent limitation with using a circular template such as this, is that it provides the user the ability to cut only one size of circle, and the circle having a radius equal to the radius of the circular template. Further, the accuracy of the cut is reliant on the user's ability to keep the blade of the cutter firmly against the template as the fabric is cut. The user may rely on having circular templates of various radii. However, each such circular template will be limited for use in cutting a circular swatch that matches its particular radius.
For the second method, a circle cutting device is used which has a cutter arm with a short sharp point that serves as a center axis, and a rotary blade that adjusts in and out on the arm, or which has an adjustable arm that has the blade affixed to the end which slides in and out, providing a range of different size circles that can be cut out limited only by the length of the arm. This type of tool has two touch points on the fabric, the center axis pin and the blade. The fabric can easily be wrinkled as the blade rotates around its center axis.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a fabric circle cutter which has an adjustable cutting radius, thereby providing for the user to select any radius between the minimum and maximum radius of the fabric circle cutter.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a fabric circle cutter that has a center pivot point and a rotary blade and that provides for smoothing and holding the fabric down around the center pivot point, around the rotary blade, and in the area between the center pivot point and the rotary blade, thereby preventing or minimizing wrinkling, over stretching, or other dimensional distortion of the fabric as it is cut.
A further objective the present invention is to provide a fabric circle cutter that provides for a retraction of the center pivot pin and the cutter blade when a cut is not being made, thereby increasing safety to the user.